The Ruby Princess and the Orichalcum Prince
by WogglebugLoveProductions
Summary: Roxanne meets Prince Micah and he falls in love with her, but how will he overcome his fears and tell her how he feels?
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day in the Jewel Kingdom and it was also a day of celebration within the castle as it was the fifteenth anniversary of King Regal and Queen Jemma's union anniversary. In the immense castle dining hall there was a party in full swing going on with dancing and singing and feasting on the finest foods. Everyone in the Jewel Kingdom was there, and also the closest friends of the King and Queen from neighboring lands.

"Mother and Father have been married for fifteen years, that's a long time," said Princess Emily the Emerald Princess. "I wonder if they lived happily ever after."

"I'm sure they did," said Princess Roxanne the Ruby Princess. "After all, they had us didn't they?"

"They did always tell us we are their crowning achievement," agreed Princess Demetra the Diamond Princess.

Princess Sabrina the Sapphire Princess looked adoringly at Prince Fabian the Silver Prince who was on her arm."I can imagine the two of us living happily ever after when we marry and our kingdoms unite someday."

Princess Sabrina and Prince Fabian had met almost a year ago and had been courting since then. Sabrina's sisters were all quite happy for them, especially as they now believed more in true love which they hoped they could each find someday too.

"You two are so lucky to have each other," said Roxanne. "I'd like to meet a prince of my own someday who'd love me as I love him."

"I believe you can," said Sabrina. "After all, when I met Fabian it was unexpected. You just have to keep your eyes open and keep looking."

Roxanne smiled and then looked around. She saw hundreds of people and creatures enjoying themselves as they either talked among each other, ate pieces of the fine cakes, or danced to the waltz music that filled the room.

Then as she looked to the corner on the far left she saw a young boy of about her age standing all alone and watching the festivities in solitude. He was wearing a short silk tunic the color of light shiny golden brown and a cape which indicated he was a prince.

"Look at him over in the corner," Roxanne said as she pointed him out to her sisters. "He looks so sad and lonely."

"I wonder why," said Emily sympathetically.

"Let's go over to him and see if we can find out," suggested Sabrina.

So the five of them went up to the young prince in the corner. When he saw the them he smiled very shyly and linked his hands behind his back.

"Hello," said Roxanne warmly. "I am Princess Roxanne, the Ruby princess. These are my sisters, Sabrina the Sapphire Princess, Emily the Emerald Princess, and Demetra the Diamond Princess. We are all the daughters of King Regal and Queen Jemma."

The Prince's smile broadened slightly as he made a small bow to them and replied, "Greetings, fair princesses. I am Prince Micah of the Orichalcum Kingdom."

"I've never heard of Orichalcum," said Roxanne. "What is it?"

"It is a precious metal that is second to gold and is used to make jewelery for lesser people," replied Prince Micah.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" exclaimed Sabrina. "Let me introduce to you Prince Fabian of the Silver Kingdom." She gestured lovingly towards Fabian who still had his arm linked with hers. "He and I have been courting for almost a year now, almost ever since we first met."

"Pleased to make you acquaintance," said Micah as he and Fabian shook hands cordially.

"He is not just my prince," Sabrina went on, "he is also my knight in shining armor. He rescued me and my sisters numerous times when we went on a journey to the Land of Mahalia to get the cure for our parents after they had been poisoned by Darklings. He did once when we were about to be attacked by a giant Scorpion, and again when I almost fell off a very ticklish mountain, and again when I was captured by a lizard man called Staki, though Staki wasn't a bad guy he was just near sighted and mistook me for his long lost wife who we eventually found for him."

As Sabrina spoke she was looking at Fabian with her eyes full of love and admiration and Fabian was beaming with love and pride towards her, while Micah listened he looked at Fabian in a somewhat envious way. Roxanne was the first to notice this.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

Micah sighed and said, "Nothing. It's just that I know I could never do any of those things, and let alone rescue anybody."

"How do you know that?" inquired Emily.

"I know because I am too timid and weak to ever do anything brave or valiant," Micah said sadly.

"But why? How can that be?" asked Roxanne, sounding disbeliving.

"I think it's probably because my father raised me to always be cautious and to never go beyond our castle's grounds. In fact this is the very first time I've been away from it," Micah explained.

"Do you know why it's been that way?" asked Demetra.

"I remember he mentioned once that when he was very young, not much older than me, his parents went on a mission to another land and never returned for they were lost at sea, and then he was the only heir to the throne so he was forced to stay confined to the Orichalcum Kingdom except on very special occassions like this one," Micah explained.

Roxanne looked thoughtful. "I remember on the day I was to be crowned the Ruby Princess I got scared and ran away from my coronation. But then I met some new friends who would be with me in the Red Mountains I would reign over, such as the dragon Hapgood who is now my adviser, and they helped me to see I could accomplish my duties if I just believed in myself. Maybe that is all you need to do."

"Did you say a dragon?" asked Micah in surprise. "But I always heard that dragons were mean and foul-tempered monsters who like to breath fire on people."

"Which just shows how living alone in fear has affected your knowledge of the world," said Roxanne pointedly. "For most dragons are really noble, gallant, and wonderful creatures. Hapgood is only fierce towards those he doesn't like such as the Darklings."

"Then I think I'd like to meet this dragon adviser of yours," said Micah.

"Oh my, yes! You must come to visit my Red Mountains someday. You will always be welcome to come," said Roxanne eagerly.

Just then another dance got started and many of the guests began finding partners to dance with. Sabrina took Fabian's hands as he led her onto the floor while Emily and Demetra went to find partners. Roxanne looked at Micah and asked,

"Would you care to dance with me?"

"Oh, I'd love to," he said sorrowfully. "But I can't for I don't know how. You see, I never learned."

"Oh, that's okay," said Roxanne with a warm smile. "I'll teach you how to dance as we go along. It's fun and it's easy."

Then hesitantly Micah took Roxanne's hands as she led him onto the floor. "Oh dear," he said anxiously. "I'll more than likely step on your toes at some point."

Roxanne laughed. "Even if you did I wouldn't mind," she assured him.

Then they began to sway towards the music of the dance and after a while Micah was dancing seemingly effortlessly with Roxanne. They smiled as they looked at each other's faces and imagined they were the only ones in the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Roxanne was in her bedroom and playing hide and seek with Hugsy, her pet hugaboo. She looked for him under the bed, he wasn't there. She looked for him under the dresser, he wasn't there. Then she looked for him inside the cupboard, he wasn't there.

But then when she looked inside the wardrobe, she found him sitting nuzzled within a scarlet red furcoat. When she opened the door he poked his head out of the pocket of it and squeaked with delight. She grinned as she picked him up and cuddled him against her and he nuzzled her and kissed her neck. She giggled as she whirled around on her floor with him.

Just then there was a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in," she called.

Then her servant, Nutmeg the gnome, opened the door and announced, "There is a visitor here to see you here, Princess. He is a prince named Micah. He claims you invited him to come here."

Roxanne's face lit up in joy. "Yes, I did!" she exclaimed. "Send him in."

"Yes, my lady," said Nutmeg with a bow before he went to fetch the Orichalcum prince.

"I really think you and Micah are gonna like each other, Hugsy," said Roxanne to her hugaboo as she tickled its tummy causing it to giggle.

Moments later, the door opened again and Prince Micah was showed in by Nutmeg. He wrung his hands nervously before him as he glanced around the room and then focused on Roxanne.

"Hello again, Princess," he said formally.

"Please call me Roxanne," she said with a smile. "This is Hugsy," she said as she held up the little creature in her arms which looked like small blue teddy bear with pointy ears and a small bump of a nose.

Micah reached out and rubbed Hugsy in-between his ears and he made a sound that was something like cooing and purring. "He seems very nice," said Micah. "What is he?"

"He is a hugaboo," said Roxanne. "He was given to me as a gift from Hapgood for saving the life of a baby dragon."

"How did you save the life of a baby dragon?" asked Micah.

"Well, it was because of me he needed saving to begin with," said Roxanne slowly. "I found him when he was still inside his egg in the mountains and when he hatched I named him Sassafras and made him my pet. But then Hapgood said he had to grow up in the Land of the Dragons or he would become very sick, I didn't listen to him though because I didn't want to. Then, sure enough, Sassafras got very sick and I had to take him to the Land of the Dragons, I made the journey part way before Hapgood flew us the rest of the way. We made there just in time and now I'm happy knowing Sassafras is where he should be."

"You went to the Land of the Dragons?" said Micah in awe. "You must really be the bravest princess of the Jewel Kingdom.

Roxanne looked flattered, and then Hugsy began wiggling in her arms and reaching out towards Micah.

"I think Hugsy wants to be hugged by you," said Roxanne observantly. "He just loves to make new friends."

She held him out to Micah and he took him in his arms. Once Hugsy was in Micah's embrace he nuzzled against his chest and cooed and purred. Micah smiled as he stroked Hugsy's back and ears.

"There's something else about him I should tell you," Roxanne began.

Then suddenly Hugsy began tickling Micah all over up from his waist with his very furry little paws. Micah began laughing uncontrollably though he couldn't get Hugsy off of him because he began crawling all over him.

Roxanne giggled as she said, "I should have warned you before. He often likes to break out into tickling attacks on newcomers."

Micah fell to the floor in fits of laughter as Hugsy crawled over his back tickling ferociously. Roxanne then knelt down beside him and tried to pick up Hugsy off of him but Hugsy just began tickling her then making her laugh also. Then before they knew it all three of them were rolling around on the floor in heaps of uproarious laughter caused by each other's tickling. They were having so much fun they at first didn't notice when someone else entered the room.

Roxanne just happened to look up and see Clove the Craghopper, her kitchen maid and cook standing in the doorway with a most bemused expression on her goatlike face.

"Oh my! What is it, Clove?" asked Roxanne in between breathless giggles.

"I just came to tell you lunch is now ready, Princess," said Clove.

Roxanne and Micah slowly got up from the floor and brushed themselves off as they attempted to calm down their laughter.

"Thank you, Clove," said Roxanne.

"May I stay and have lunch with you, Roxanne?" asked Micah.

Roxanne's face lit up in joy. "Certainly you may!" she said. "And why don't we all go and have lunch as a picnic on the nearest mountain?"

"That sounds splendid," said Micah. "Although I shall feel somwhat nervous about climbing a mountain."

"You won't have to," Roxanne assured him. "Hapgood can fly us there on his back in a very short time."

So then they packed their picnic basket full and went outside where they found the cave by the castle where Hapgood lived. Roxanne called into it and her voice echoed in the cave's interior.

"Happy? I have a guest here who would like to meet you."

Then there was a shuffling sound before two large green eyes appeared shining through the darkness, and then these were followed by a large green dragon head and then an enormous masisve body with a long scaly tail slithering behind it.

Micah felt suddenly very weak in his knees at the sight of Hapgood, but then his tension eased as he saw that the dragon was smiling warmly with its pearly white teeth.

"Greetings to you, young prince," said Hapgood in a deep reflined voice as he bowed his head towards Micah. "You must be Prince Micah of the Orichalcum Kingdom. Roxanne told me about you and mentioned we might meet each other. It's a pleasure to meet you I must say."

"The same here," said Micah cordially.

"Now, Happy," said Roxanne. "Would you be so kind as to fly us to the nearest mountain so that we may relax and enjoy our picnic?"

"Of course, my lady," replied Hapgood.

Then the three of them climbed onto Hapgood's back with Micah holding the picnic basket and Roxanne holding Hugsy in her lap. Then the dragon lifted its great wings up and soared into the air freely. Soon they were high above the ground and could see the tops of the Red Mountains beside them. Then within moments Hapgood came to a stop on top of the one closest to the castle which was one of the smaller ones and his passengers climbed off of his back.

Roxanne and Micah with along with Hugsy sat down upon the reddish ground and laid out a large blanket before them and then opened the picnic basket and laid out their goodies.

Halfway through their meal, Roxanne happened to look up and exclaim, "Look! There is the moon! In the middle of the day!"

Micah looked up and sure enough there was a big round full moon shining as bright as it did at night in the sky.

"How can we see it at this time of day?" he asked wonderingly.

"Sometimes if the moon is in the right place at the right time you can see it in the daytime," explained Hapgood.

"I see the moon and the moon sees me!" Roxanne said in a sweet singsong voice.

"I remember," said Micah looking wistfully up at the moon, "when I much younger I had a storyteller who would come to the castle and tell me stories about other worlds and the people and creatures that lived on them. Now I odten wonder if there really could be other places and people out there, beyond the moon and the stars."

"So do I," said Roxanne. "And if there are I would relaly like to meet one of them someday."

They then finished their lunch and repacked the picnic basket and climbed onto Hapgood as he flew them back to the Ruby Castle.

"Why did you shiver when we first met?" Hapgood asked Micah curiously.

"Well, it was just that I'd never seen a dragon before, and all the dragons I'd heard of were described as being really mean and horrible and dangerous. Though now of course I see the falseness of what I'd heard."

Hapgood nodded and said, "Sometimes dragons can go bad under certain circumstances. In the old days a lot of dragons did not get along with people too well. Though nowadays we dragons are mostly peace loving creatures. Remember to always believe what you see and experience rather than what you hear about."


	3. Chapter 3

A month went by and Micah came to the Jewel Kingdom once a week to visit with Roxanne in the Red Mountains. One day she and her sisters received word that a visitor who was from another world had been invited to speak at the castle to give a series of lectures. Roxanne invited Micah to come with them to the first of these and of course he gladly accepted.

They now sat in chairs in a row upon rows and rows as everyone from the Jewel Kingdom and a few outsiders had gathered in the castle's lecture hall. They were all waiting in great anticipation for the guest speaker to appear.

"Where is he from?" Micah whispered to Roxanne.

"I heard he is from a far away place called the Land of Oz," she replied.

"He must be extremely intelligent to be able to get all the way from there to here," said Micah.

Then everyone hushed as the guest speaker walked out onto the podium. There were a few collective murmurs and whisperings as he was revealed to be a six-foot tall creature with the appearance of a giant insect, except he walked upright and wore clothes which consisted of a blue swallowtail coat, a white vest, and light brown knee-breeches. Walked in a peculiar side to side waddling motion but carried himself in a most dignified manner as he walked up and addressed the assembly.

"Greetings one and all," he said in a voice that sounded an educated and refined cricket's chirp. "I am Mr. H. M. Wogglebug T. E. and the initials mean I am Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated. How I got to be so is a very facsinating story, but it will be told at another time. I am here today to talk with you about the conditions of the human spirit."

He then cleared his throat and began. "From the moment that we all breath life in each of us has to find a way to be just what we're meant to become and sometimes fate shows us that in a way we never expected to find. We all started out knowing very little and crawling on our hands and knees in the very beginning but then we all learn to stand upright and walk forward into whatever hand the game of life deals us with. Though sometimes we may stumble along the way, or else just lose ourselves in our desperation to ascend and we run away with ourselves before we realize that all we need to do is spread our wings and fly. Though the majority of us may be born without wings we still fly with our spirits, is what I mean."

"In life we have our pains and sorrows," he continued. "We face moutains we think we can't climb, and peaks and valleys with rivers we think we can't cross. We may get so busy wading through the swamps of our sorrows and sadness that we don't tell ourselves to keep holding on and to be strong. And, sometimes, as much as I'd hate to say so, we let the stormy darkness pull us down and give up our hope which is the most precious each and every one of us possess."

He was silent for a brief moment, and then he continued brightly, "And then of course there are those of us who when we think we've reached the end of the rope and can never win, we, as all of us really should, see a light at the end of things and we tell ourselves to hold onto our dreams because they're always worth having. They are, you know, they really are. So you must never let anyone steal your joy from you."

"Remember that your hopes and dreams are always closer than they seem, even if they sometimes seem to be impossible. Just give yourself a chance at life as there really is nothing to hold you back. Everything is right there wait. Have faith in yoursleves and then you can achieve all that you may want to, and then you will for certain. Just don't be scared to dream. After all, you never know how you'll do at something until you try. And, as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with believing we can do anything.

"We all try and fail many times as we learn from our mistakes," he went on. "In the time it takes to live one life a million lessons can be learned. Why, even I am still learning. I realize that now although it took me while to realize it because like I said before we all may stumble from time to time on the path of life. Whenever you find you have failed at something you've really tried to do what you must do next is give yourslef a second chance. You've got to keep holding on to your dreams until the journey's end, until the day your life is said and done."

"Now, we often may forget the truth of this but there is magic in us every day just as there is a power in the gift of love when it's love that you least expect. Love is a light which we all have inside of our hearts. It is the first thing we aquire from our parents from the moment we are born. When life gets rough, and there are times that it will, we must let the light inside our hearts guide our way and then we will be free to be whatever we may want to be."

"You've also got to live your eyes and your minds wide open to all of life's possibilities. Believe in what you see, rather than what you are told to believe. Don't hesitate and waste your days worrying, wondering, hopelessly hoping. Think of all the time you may have with your life, no matter how long or short it may be, though as far as I'm concerned it is never too late to start living, really living."

"Now onto the subject of love again. Some of us are fortunate enough to leave the world we were born into with more love than we had when we came into into it. Though sometimes love can be tough on us, though of course that doesn't make it any less valuable. We may be afraid to pursue, to express, to find love. Though where we find it and how we find it never really matters. All that matters is that is there for us to have and to cherish, and we must grasp what we know we want and desire the most. Once you have it you must protect it because it is so fragile it could be gone in an instant if you're not careful."

He then stepped to the side and made a deep and graceful bow to the assembly and everyone applauded as he walked off of the podium.

Then as the princesses were leaving the hall they discussed what they had heard from Mr. Wogglebug.

"I really liked what he said, I really do," said Emily.

"So did I," said Sabrina. "Especially the parts about how love is the spirit's guiding light. It reminded me of the way I feel about my beloved Fabian."

"Well, I did like what he said, too," said Demetra. "Although he did seem a bit pompous at times."

"But I should think that would be expected of him as he is after all the only Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated wogglebug there is anywhere," said Roxanne pointedly.

As the princesses were exiting the hall, Micah quietly crept away from them and went down the hallway in the opposite direction where he hoped he would find Mr. Wogglebug. And, sure enough, he found him. Once he did he got his attention and said with shy hesitation,

"Excuse me, Mr... Wogglebug, sir. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your speaking. And it made me start thinking about the things in my own life, especially now. I wanted to ask your advice on one of those things."

Mr. Wogglebug smiled and said, "Ask away, for I am always delighted to give my advice to any who may need it."

Micah said in his soft heistating voice, "I think I am falling in love with one of the princesses of this kingdom. The Ruby Princess. Her name is Roxanne. I believe she likes me, but I really can't tell if she feels the exact same way about me as I do for her."

"Why then you should tell her how you feel, for you will never know if she feel likewise if you never do," said Mr. Wogglebug wisely.

"But I don't know how," said Fabian sorrowfully. "And even if did, I'm not sure if I am the right one for her as I am so timid and meek most of the time and she is so strong-willed and brave and valient. I could tell this of her from the moment I first met her."

Mr. Wogglebug smiled gently. "Well, I believe that in time you will prove to her and yourself you are much braver than you believe and also much stronger than you seem. And, in the meantime I would suggest you wite her a song or a poem to express your deep passionate feelings to her."

"Alright. I'll try," said Fabian.


	4. Chapter 4

In the following week, Prince Micah spent much time thinking up his song to recite to Princess Roxanne. He studied with his parents' Royal Poet to make sure the verses worked well and the words were in harmony with each other. When he was finally satisfied with what he had written he plucked up his courage and returned to the Jewel Kingdom and went to the Red Mountains where the ruby palace was.

He stepped up to the door and knocked on it while going over his song through his mind rapidly. The door was soon opened by Roxanne's servant Nutmeg the Gnome.

"Greetings Prince Micah," said Nutmeg. "What brings you here?"

"I... have something for Princess Roxanne," said Micah a touch uneasily.

"I'm afraid she is not here at the moment," said Nutmeg.

"Well, where is she?" asked Micah.

"She said she was going to visit her friends Applesap and Marigold who live in the mountains," replied Nutmeg. "Though she has been gone since this morning and still hasn't returned. I am beginning to feel very worried for her."

"Well, perhaps I could go look for her," said Micah.

"That is very gallant of you," said Nutmeg. "Especially since Hapgood is away in the Land of the Dragons visiting with his parents and so you will have to go over the mountains on foot."

Micah suddenly felt very weak in his knees as the thought of climbing up a mountain all by himself settled in his mind. He had never climbed anything before let alone something as tall as a mountain and the thought of it made him shiver inwardly and his throat feel hollow. Yet at the same time he felt deep inside that he must take this risk of mountain climbing for the sake of the safety of Princess Roxanne. He wasn't sure why, but he just had a feeling that she needed him somehow.

"Where was she headed when she left here?" he asked.

"She was headed North East," replied Nutmeg.

So Micah went in the North East direction and found a series of fair sized mountains before him. He hesitated for a moment and then he remembered Roxanne and her smile as she danced with him on the night they had met and then he proceeded to climb up the mountain.

He climbed higher and higher and he wisely never looked down as he knew it would only slow his progress down. A few times he felt himself almost start to slip downward but he caught himself each time and then resumed his climbing with more determination.

He was about halfway up the mountain when he spotted a long cliff ahead of him and he reached for it. When he got onto the cliff's ledge he spotted a hole in the side of the mountain and realized it was a cave which something could be living inside of.

Before he had time to worry about what might be inside it he heard a low growling coming from within it. He felt a shiver run down his spine as the growling continued and grew louder by the moment which meant the thing inside the cave was coming further out of it. He stood frozen stiff as he watched as the shape of something enormous began to appear in the cave's interior. Then out of it emerged the biggest and blackest and hairiest bear he had ever seen.

He trembled everywhere and he felt like running away. But then he remembered about Roxanne and wondered if perhaps this bear knew something about her. So he drew a small sword from his belt which his father had just recently given to him and pointed it at the bear as he demanded in the strongest voice he could muster,

"Where is the Princess Roxanne?"

The bear looked at Micah and began to growl again. "Why do you want to know where she is?" he demanded.

"Because I am Prince Micah and I am her friend and have heard she went missing this morning," said Micah still trying to use a strong voice.

The bear's demeanor changed quite suddenly then. "Oh, well that makes a difference. I believe I saw her climbing up the mountain and then she disappeared halfway around it."

"Do you have any idea of what might have happened to her?" asked Micah.

"I fear she might have been kidnapped by those wicked goblins who dwell underneath the deepest crevices of these mountains," said the bear.

"Well, if the goblins do have her they won't stand in my way," said Micah stoutly.

"If you would like, I could carry you up to the mountain," offered the bear.

"Thank you, but no," said Micah. "I feel I must do this on my own."

Then Micah resumed his climb up the steep mountain with more vigor and determination than before so that his steps weren't as awkward as before. As he neared the top he thought he heard the sound of chattering and then he heard Roxanne's voice saying something in a fearful manner.

Now he was certain she was in trouble and he climbed briskly up the rest of the mountain and bounded up to it's top. There he saw unto his horror, a band of green skinny goblins with pointed ears and noses and claws on their fingers and toes. All were standing around a huge cauldron that was boiling under a burning fire. And he saw Roxanne as she was trapped inside a wooden cage that was sitting on top of a rock and looking like she had been crying.

Micah bounded forward and startled the goblins as he exclaimed, "What is the meaning of this? Why have you got the Princess Roxanne in a cage?"

The goblins looked at him and sneered. "Not that it's any of your business," said one with annoyance. "We just intend to have her for our supper, after all can't you see the cauldron brewing?"

"Why do you want to eat her?" demanded Micah.

"We haven't eaten anything in years, and we long for the taste of human flesh," explained the goblin. "And don't you dare mess with us," said the goblin warningly. "Or we will eat you along with her."

Micah thought hard for a moment and then an idea came to him. "I will not mess with you," he said. "In fact I will help you out. I know of the best ingredients to cook a princess with."

The goblin looked at him suspiciously. "You do? And what, may I ask, is that?"

"It's the tails of giant lizards," Micah went on. "And there are a whole bunch of giant lizards with very long tails just down the mountain. You can go get them and I'll keep an eye on Roxanne for you."

The goblin seemed to be deep in thought. Then he went to his fellows and they huddled together whispering amongst themselves for a few moments. Then they turned toward him again and one said,

"We do also enjoy eating lizards, and if there are giant lizards living down the mountain we will go get them."

Then Micah watched as the goblins began making their way down the side of the mountain. Then when they were about halfway down it he went over to their cauldron and heaved it with as much strength as he could muster and pushed it to the edge of the mountaintop and then knocked it over on its side so that the boiling water in it spilled down the mountainside and soon caught up to the goblins and they were washed down the mountain screaming as the water scorched them.

Micah then hurried over to Roxanne in the cage and drew his sword and cut off the wooden bars in the front of it so that she could be set free. Roxanne stepped out of the cage and Micah took her hand and helped her to step off of the rock she was on.

"Micah, thank you for rescuing me," she said as she threw her arms around him. "You were so clever in dealing with the goblins. How did you think to trick them like that?"

"I don't really know," Micah admitted. "The idea just came to me."

"How did you also get all the way up here?" Roxanne asked.

"I just climbed," he said. "I heard from your servant you had gone missing this morning and I was worried about you so I just climbed up here and then a bear told me about the goblins."

"And you said you didn't consider yourself brave. You are truly as brave as any prince is," Roxanne told him. She then kissed him.

Micah felt his blood rush at the touch of her kiss and his heart seemed to beat quicker as well.

"Well, now I guess we better get back to the palace before someone else comes to look for me," Roxanne said.

So then they climbed down the mountain together.


End file.
